


Always Standing Tall

by la_mia_stella



Series: Our Lives are Far from Perfect [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Depression, M/M, Talk of War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2014-02-21
Packaged: 2018-01-13 05:53:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1215130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_mia_stella/pseuds/la_mia_stella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A soldiers battle isn't when he comes home, but when he has to deal with the life he is now dealt with. Marco's journey begins at the airport when he steps out of the terminal with that purple heart on his chest. Jeans journey began when he let the one he loved leave for the first time.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	Always Standing Tall

**Author's Note:**

> Part of a series this happens after the Don't ask Don't tell policy was done away with. 
> 
> This happens about two years before the Valentines Day story, I wanted to show Marco in a new light as some character development will happen between this and the V-day story as it came from his POV you don't hear about his injury just his fatigue which hints at how he views himself years later.

The first time he had seen Marco come home from the field he cried tears of joy.  
Marco’s family was a proud group, and those who wanted to carry on that pride joined a branch of the military mainly the Army. They had other dreams for their lives outside of the service of course, but to carry out the legacy of their family name since before the revolutionary war they enlisted.  
Marco feeling the need to do this after his father deemed him a disgrace to the family signed up the day he turned eighteen. That day had broken Jean’s heart, but kept a straight face when the others deployment.  
That agonizing year Jean would wait for every letter the dark haired man would send him, and when that year was up he met Marco at the airport with a relieved expression, and those tears cascading down his face.  
When he sees the other Marco smiles and walks toward Jean and his family, as he walked he thanked the crowds of people he passed as he walked by. When he reached those he was looking forward to see his mother launched herself at her son tears streaming down her face. Jean just stood back waiting his turn. 

What felt like forever Marco’s eyes finally met his. Knowing he couldn’t do more than a hug here Marco leaned down and hugged Jean. “Never saw you cry before Jean.”  
“Your hair looks stupid.” Jean said hugging the other back. 

The second time Marco came home Jean stood alone at the airport, Marco's family not able to get tickets to fly in for the event, but would be their the next day.  
That day Jean cried once again, but not with the tears of joy, but tears of relief. He could only thank what deity was out there that the other was still alive. When he saw Marco he broke down, the man he saw come from this airport doors before walking so proudly stumbled out the door his crutches resting on his forearms as he struggled to walk a purple heart adorned his uniform. He had lost his left leg in an explosion. The man walking from the terminal was the same one Jean had fallen in love with the same one his coworkers teased him about. He was the ever smiling freckled Marco that he knew he’d spend the rest of his life with. 

When Marco reached him Jean forgot all about the flowers clutched in his hand stems bending from the firmness of his grip he threw his arms around Marco’s shoulders and sobbed. He was home, he was safe, and here in this airport he was all Jean’s.  
Incoherently Jean repeated Marco’s name while the other stumbled back a bit but wrapped one arm around Jean’s back. “Yes, I’m here.” was the answer he gave the other. 

Marco would never understand how Jean felt when he had learned the news of the others injury. But Jean would also never know the tournament Marco went through as he thought this day would not come. He thanked God as he felt his own tears fall, as he buried his face into Jeans hair. 

It was 2011 a new year for a lot of things, and the one he was so grateful for was to be able to hold Jean’s hand as he walked out of that airport.


End file.
